Pantallion arrested for kidnapping

A Beaumont man is in the custody of Louisiana police on charges of kidnapping and possibly human trafficking.

According to WHNT 19 News in Lake Charles, La., Ivory Charles Pantallion III, 33, is being held on a $1 million bond for allegedly kidnapping a 19-year-old Huntsville woman and using her as a prostitute on a local sex site.

Police told WHNT 19 that the 19-year-old left with Pantallion willingly last week, but her willingness faded once it was clear she would be a sex object in Beaumont and later in Lake Charles.

“Once they arrived in Beaumont, the victim’s phone was taken away and she was given a prepaid phone,” Lake Charles police said in a press release Tuesday. “The victim was shown her personal Web page on an Internet site advertising her as an escort and was told she would provide escort services for men. After one night in Beaumont, the victim and suspects traveled to Lake Charles. Once there, the suspects established another personal Web page advertising the victim as an escort in the Lake Charles area.”

Pantallion has at least two arrests in Jefferson County for possession of a controlled substance, according to a criminal database search.

According to the news release, the 19-year-old victim phoned her mother once she was back in Lake Charles and the victim’s parents were able to help police locate the missing girl.

The 19-year-old victim was found uninjured by police and Pantallion and a Tennessee woman were arrested for kidnapping.

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